Advertise on podcast: Below the Hospital

Why do some instructions for use (IFUs) make sense to manufacturers but not to sterile processing teams? On this episode of Below the Hospital, host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. speaks to Samantha Hodge, co-owner and managing director of O'Dell & Hodge Consulting and co-chair of AAMI Working Group 15, about what happens to a medical device before it ever reaches the sterile processing department and dealing with special end of life cases like exposure to Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD).

Alpa Patel of Nelson Labs joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby to discuss her study alongside colleague Daniel Olsen on the impact of end-of-life processing for reusable medical devices. Since sterile processing professionals lack guidance on what constitutes the end-of-life threshold, it is critical to understand which devices can withstand reprocessing and that end-of-life depends on how often a device is reprocessed. Read the paper at BI&T: https://array.aami.org/doi/10.2345/0899-8205-59.1.128

Alex Hilliker of ChemDAQ joins Garland-Rhea Grisby to discuss chemical monitoring in the sterile processing department and how applying ANSI/AAMI ST58 can help keep you and your employees safe from overexposure to chemicals like vaporized hydrogen peroxide, peracetic acid, and glutaraldehyde. Disclaimer: ChemDAQ manufactures sensor technology used for chemical monitoring.

Martell Winters, Director of Scientific Competency at Nelson Labs, joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss radiation sterilization. Check out their conversation on bioburden type and testing, material selection for medical devices, and the factors to consider when selecting different radiation sterilization modalities.

Tanya Magaña, Supplier Excellence Engineer for Packaging at Solventum, joins Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. on the Below the Hospital podcast to discuss how packaging engineers impact your work in the sterile processing department, and the importance of the design and testing process for the sterile packaging that keeps patients safe.

Ted May, CEO of Andersen Sterilizers, joins Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. on Below the Hospital to discuss ethylene oxide, its role in sterile processing, and how it remains a useful, niche sterilization modality. Plus, a discussion of the scientific process behind combating CRE outbreaks and what it took to obtain terminal sterilization clearance under the FDA’s duodenoscope requirements. Disclaimer: Andersen Products distributes and services gas sterilization products manufactured by Andersen Sterilizers, Inc. Andersen Sterilizers manufactures its products in North Carolina.

Kenneth Campbell joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby for part two of their conversation about steam sterilization, how to apply ANSI/AAMI ST79 in your facility, and share stories about overfilled trays and wet packs.

Kenneth Campbell, veteran, educator, standards developer, and HSPA Fellow, joins Below the Hospital host Garland Grisby Sr. to discuss steam sterilization in the SPD, why ST79 matters, and how to avoid nightmare scenarios like wet packs.

Infections from contaminated endoscopes or duodenoscopes can be hard to track and lethal. But new research on endoscope processing may provide a way for sterile processing professionals to deal with biofilm buildup in the SPD. Daniel Lightfoot of Nanosonics joins Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss research that he recently presented at HSPA 2026, and his findings on a better way to tackle the cyclical buildup of biofilm.

The medical field is a massive producer of waste. But sustainability practices can help combat this problem without compromising on patient safety. Marcia Frieze of Case Medical joins us this week to talk about environmental safety, the potential of enzymatic detergents, and how you can contribute to the state of the art in sterile processing. Disclaimer: Case Medical is a manufacturer of enzymes.

Delores O'Connell of STERIS joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to discuss the how and why of equipment planning in sterile processing. Learn how to future-proof your facility, what it takes to design a new one, and how you can work with other departments in your workplace like clinical engineering.

When sterile packaging fails, SPD pays the price. Sade Brown, PhD, R&D engineer and scientist with global healthcare solutions company Owens & Minor, joins host Garland Grisby Sr. to discuss the science behind sterile packaging and how to combat common issues like loss of sterile barrier integrity, and wet packs.

Rebecca Peplau, Clinical Education specialist at Healthmark joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. to chat about what today’s sterile processing professionals need the most. The answer? Clear guidance, ongoing education, and stronger support systems.

Margaret Gilman of Nemours Children’s Health joins host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. on Below the Hospital to discuss her research on the importance of a 14-day hang time for endoscopes. Not only does a 14-day hang time protect your patients and save your facility money – Gilman’s work with her colleagues is a great blueprint for sterile processing professionals looking to conduct their own assessments. 0 Show Notes: 1. Gilman, et al, Using a Risk Assessment to Transition to a 14-Day Endoscope Hang Time: https://array.aami.org/doi/10.2345/0899-8205-59.2.155

AI is here, but what does that mean for professionals in the SPD? Below the Hospital host Garland-Rhea Grisby Sr. talks with Salmaan Hameed of BH2 Innovations about what big data and AI can do, what they can’t do, and how they are likely to change maintenance, analytics, and facility operating costs throughout the sterile processing field. Show Notes: 1. Salmaan Hameed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salmaanhameed